Hand-power propeller.



- INO. 878,845. PATENTED FEB. 11, 1908.

JPG. WEIR.

HAND POWER PROPELLBR. I

APPLIOATIONIILED MAY 31,1907.

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PATENTED FEBul l, 1908.

J. 0. WEIR; HAND POWER PROPELLER. AIPLIOATION FILED MAY 31, 1907.

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JOHN c. WEIR, or VIDALIA, LOUISIANA.

HAND-POWER PROPELLER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 11, 1908.

Application filed May 31. 1907. Serial No. 376,519.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN C. WEIR, citizen of the United States, residing at Vidalia, in the county of Concordia and State of Louisiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hand-Power Propellers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention contemplates certain new and useful improvements in propelling mechanism for row boats, skiffs and the like, and the invention has for its object a simple, durable and efficient construction of hand power propulsion mechanism which may be easily installed in a boat and by which the operator may actuate the screw propeller by his hands throu h suitable mechanism hereinafter described, and at the same time steer the boat with his feet. I

With this and other objects in view as will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain constructions, arrangements and combinations of the parts which I shall hereinafter fully describe and then point out the novel features in the appended claims.

For a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof, and also to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction, of the means for effecting the result, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the boat, embodying the improvements of my invention, part being broken away and the bow and stern of the boat brought together. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the propelling mechanism, the boat being omitted, and Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view thereof, looking aft.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates a boat which may be of any desired type of row boat, skiff or the like, suitable for being driven or propelled manually, and 2 designates a platform or base for the operating parts of my invention, it being intended that the base and other parts be constructed of different standard sizes or according to any desired size of boat in which it is intended to be placed, so that the entire mechanism may be readily installed in the boat without the necessity of making material changes in the structure thereof. Upon the supporting platform or base 2 and at the rear end thereof, are two upwardly extending side frames 3 that are preferably constructed of strips or bars of suitable light and strong metal bent intermediate of their ends into inverted U-shape as shown, so as to provide .two upwardly converging members screwed or bolted at their lower end to the platform 2 and horizontally extending cross bars that are designed to support the seat 4 secured thereto in any desired manner.

5 designates two longitudinal braces that are preferably rovided with angularly disposed ends bo ted or riveted within the frames as shown, and adapted to sup ort bearings for the transversely extending rive shaft 6, and 5 designates cross braces which may be of any desired construction said cross braces in the present instance being shown as converged at the front of the frame work and meeting at the middle of the seat, while those at the rear of the frame work intersect intermediate of their ends as shown.

The drive shaft 6 is a cranked shaft and its crank 7 is connected to a pitman 8 which extends forwardly. The front end of the pitman 8 is forked, and its members are secured to the oppositely extending pins 8 on the hand lever 9, which is fulcrumed at its lower end within a socket 10 secured on the platform 2, to turn about a horizontal arms in front of the seat 4. The upper end of the lever 9 is provided with a transversely extending handle 9 so that the operator sitting upon the seat 4, may, by grasping the handles, Vibrate the hand lever back and forth and impart a rotary movement to the shaft 6.

11 designates fly wheels that are mounted in the ends of the drive shaft 6 as shown. A spur gear 12 is secured on the drive shaft 6 and meshes with a relatively smaller gear wheel 13 at one end of a counter shaft 14 lo cated at the'rear of the drive shaft 6. The counter shaft 14 is journaled in suitable bearings 15 mounted on the platform 2, and said shaft carries a bevel -nion meshing with a similar pinion 17 on t he forward end of the propeller shaft 18. 19 designates the propeller. The platform 2 is provided at its rear end with an o enin 20 through which the propeller sha t an its bearings are adapted to pass. In the practical operation, the operator on the seat 4, will, by rocking the lever 9 impart a rotary motion to the shaft 6, and the latter will in turn rotate the counter shaft 14 and thus actuate the propeller 19.

The rudder 21 is connected by cables 22 to a spool or drum 23 which is journaled within any suitable bearings in the platform 2, forward of the hand lever 9. The spool. 23 is provided at its upper end with a spur pinion 24 adapted to be enga ed by a segmental rack 25 formed on the lower side of a segment 26, journaled to rock about the vertical axis within the casting or hearing on the latform. 'The said segment is preferably formed in its rear ed c with curved portions 26* adapted to form oot rests against which the o erator may rest the ball of his foot. It will t us be seen that the entire segment 26 will form braces for the operators'feet, so as to give him a firm seat during the operation of the hand lever 9, while at the same time this part, by its curved rack 25 and the pinion 24 may be turned to either right or left so as to swing the rudder and thereby steer the boat.

From the foregoing description in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be seen that I have provided a very simple and efficient construction of hand power pro-- peller, which may be cheaply constructed and easily assembled.

It is manifest that I am not limited to any particular proportion of the gears or to the exact construction of the parts shown, but that changes may be made within the terms of the appended claims without departing from the scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

Hand propelling mechanism for boats, consisting'of a platform ada ted to be supported within the boat, side ames mounted on the rear end of said platform, a seat supported on said frames, longitudinal braces secured to the frames and provided with journal bearings, a transversely extending crank shaft journaled in said bearings, a lever socket secured to the platform in front of the seat, a hand lever fulcrumed at its lower end in said socket to rock in a vertical plane to and from said seat, a pitman connecting said crank with the hand lever, a transversely extending counter-shaft ournaled on the platform in the rear of the crank shaft, and provided with a spur inion, a spur gear wheel on the crank shtf f meshing with said pinion, and a beveled pinion on said counter shaft in combination with the propeller shaft, of the boat, said shaft being provided with a beveled pinion meshing with the bevel pinion of the counter shaft, the platform being formed on its rear end with an opening adapted to permit of the passage of the said propeller shaft, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN C. WEIR.

Witnesses:

FRANK O. WURSTER, A. S. GEORGE. 

